LIVERPOOL -- Roberto Martinez concedes it is a "blow" that Dynamo Kiev captain Andriy Yarmolenko will be free to face Everton in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday.
Yarmolenko, 25, was banned for three matches after being sent off for a heavy challenge on Guingamp midfielder Younousse Sankhare in the first leg of their last-32 meeting on Feb. 19.
The Ukraine international missed the second leg, which Dynamo won 3-1 to set up a tie with Everton, for which he was also set to be suspended.
However, Dynamo appealed against the ban, which has been reduced to just the one game he has already served, meaning that he can play at Goodison Park on Thursday.
Dynamo midfielder Younes Belhanda, sent off in the same game as Yarmolenko, has had his three-match ban upheld.
"It is a blow from our point of view because Yarmolenko is one of their best performers," Martinez told a news conference. "But at the same time, when you're facing top teams, you want to face them with their best players and at their best level.
"We understand what happened. He served one game, there was a successful appeal. Belhanda is going to serve three games.
"The quality of this side is really, really good. When you're facing teams in Europe, you want to face them with their top potential. Yarmolenko is the captain and a very significant player in what they try to do.
"But I think tomorrow is going to be about how good we can be, and how well we can adapt into the game. We've played eight games in this competition, and clearly we're not going to take the opposition lightly, and we're not going to take the opportunity lightly either."
Everton have progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League amid poor domestic form. Martinez's side have picked up 11 points from their last 16 Premier League games, and are only six points above the relegation zone.
However, Steven Naismith believes they can still win the club's first European trophy since the 1985 Cup Winners' Cup triumph.
"We believe we can go all the way to the final and win it, but we're at a stage where every team are a quality team. We know we'll need to be at our best," he told a news conference. "We need to be solid tomorrow, and get the crowd behind us, and get a good result in the first leg to take with us next week."
The Scotland international is also convinced that Everton do not need to sacrifice Europa League progress to concentrate on improving their domestic form.
He said: "I don't think so. I think getting the boys back from injury as well gives us a bit more competition for places, and the squad's definitely strong enough to push on and deal with the demands over the next two weeks before the international break. So I don't see why there are any reasons why we need to."
Everton will again be without left-back Leighton Baines, who has played just once since the end of January because of knee and thigh problems.
Fellow left-back Bryan Oviedo has a hamstring injury, while right-back Tony Hibbert, midfielder Steven Pienaar and winger Aiden McGeady all have knee problems, with Aaron Lennon cup-tied. Leon Osman, meanwhile, is struggling with a knock, and John Stones is a doubt with a virus.
Martinez said: "For tomorrow, Tony Hibbert, Bryan Oviedo and Leighton Baines -- together with Aiden McGeady and Steven Pienaar -- will be missing from the squad.
"Leon Osman is carrying a knock, and John Stones a virus, and they will both be monitored. We're going to make sure we give them as much time as we need. But everyone else is fit and available. Aaron Lennon is not allowed to play in Europe, but everyone else is ready."